1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ultrasonic devices of the pulse-echo type, and more particularly to such devices which are suited for examination of the interior of a patient's body for non-invasive medical diagnosis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ultrasonic pulse-echo systems have heretofore been proposed for the examination of the interior of a patient's body. The present echocardioscope, echocardiagraph, echoencephalograph, or ultrasonoscope displays inter-bio-organs with a single ultrasonic element transducer by non-invasive techniques and with the aid of mechanical and/or electrical devices to provide several different types of displays. These include mechanical linear, arc hand held sector, compound scans, and their respective types of displays. The most common ultrasonic diagnostic instrument in use is the echocardiograph which utilizes a hand-held single ultrasonic element transducer for non-invasive examination of heart patients. The single ultrasonic element transducer echocardiograph provides "A" mode and "M" mode oscilloscope (CRT) visual displays.
None of the known biomedical ultrasonoscopes is capable of a selection of visual displays including "C" mode scan as well as the common "A" and "M" modes. Furthermore, conventional biomedical ultrasonoscopes are large and bulky, and incapable of portable, battery powered operation.